Much has been studied and written about the power of suggestion on human behavior and psychology. Some research on the power of suggestion has indicated that our expectations influence our behavior, meaning that we get what we expect. Less scientific evidence is the effect that social media influencers (suggesters maybe?) have on consumer buying behavior. The examples are nearly endless and a Google search on the subject returned over 485 million results. The concept of the power of suggestion is fascinating and I highly recommend checking into it when you have the chance.
We will barely scratch the surface of in the few moments we have together so I invite you to take a quick mental journey with me (see what I did there?).
Have you ever found yourself in a challenging conversation, disagreement, or situation where you struggled to find a mutually agreeable solution with another person or persons? Maybe it happened with a coworker, a friend or a family member. And in those moments, you really wanted the other person(s) to see your point of view but it just wasn't happening? While we can't go back in time, if we change our mindset, reframe, and use the power of suggestion, it may possible to change the outcomes of future situations and relationships for the better.
A quick and easy example of harnessing the power of suggestion might look something like this:
Instead of saying: "I think..." or "You should..."
Try: "What if we tried..." or "Would you consider this..."
Additionally, using inquiry instead of advocacy can also go a long way to finding collaborative, common solutions, particularly with controversial topics. According to McArthur (2014), "Advocacy and Inquiry are two key communication behaviors with critical implications for interpersonal, group, and organizational effectiveness. Advocacy refers to stating one’s views; inquiry refers to asking questions."
A quick and easy example of using inquiry vs. advocacy might go something like this:
Advocacy: " I am right and you are wrong. My way is better than yours!"
Inquiry: "We seem to have a difference of opinion. Help me to understand your point of view and perhaps we can work toward an agreeable way forward."
In the spirit of keeping this post short and sweet, we'll end here for today. Thank you for joining me on this quick journey into the power of suggestion, advocacy and inquiry.
This week's reflection is: Have you tried using suggestion and inquiry over advocacy in your conversations? How did they go? Did the quality of your interactions and relationships improve?
Have a great week! I can only suggest. :)
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